


SLC Backspace Challenge: Blood or Money

by WhisperingQuill



Category: Carmilla - All Media Types
Genre: Author Is Sleep Deprived, Backspace Challenge, Challenge Response, Other, TBC?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:01:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25077292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhisperingQuill/pseuds/WhisperingQuill
Summary: Response to the recent SLC Backspace Challenge.  "Your landlord is a vampire.  You have the choice to pay rent in money, or in blood." Restriction 1500 words or less.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 18
Collections: Authors of SLC





	SLC Backspace Challenge: Blood or Money

**Author's Note:**

> This is a backspace challenge. That means that I am not allowed to go back and edit/polish/change etc.  
> Hopefully it isn't trash.
> 
> Unbeta'd. All mistakes are mine.
> 
> Idea for how to approach the challenge credited to Bella.

Laura cringed at the figure that had appeared in the stairwell. She knew she was coming due, she’d seen the calendar last night. Nevertheless, she didn’t want to have to have some sort of confrontation with him about it. He was creepy. He was always just a little creepy. The smirk currently aimed at her did not assuage that thought.

“Hollis.”

She offered an awkward, uncomfortable smile that probably came out as more of a grimace, and slowed so that she stopped well out of reach. Not that that would actually help. “Hey, Will.”

“Due tomorrow.” The smirk broadened, and Laura’s grimace-smile spread into a full cringe. “You’re looking awfully… delicious lately… too.”

Laura was sure she was going to throw up if he kept on those comments. “You’re disgusting.” His grin went wider and he gave her an exaggerated once-over. She actively felt her skin shudder at that.

“You’re in contract for that loft. Not my fault you can’t keep up with a month-to-month.” He leered a bit, and she mimed gagging. “Tomorrow Hollis. Blood or money… but you know what  _ I’d _ prefer.” She winced as he disappeared into a plume of black smoke. Gross.

* * *

The day had passed, and though she possibly could have gotten some sort of help from her father if she’d just swallowed her pride and talked to him sooner, she hadn’t actually managed to reach him on the phone to ask for a wire transfer or loan. Instead, she’d checked around at classified ads and online postings, hoping for quick cash, but hadn’t managed to find anything that could get her enough in one day. As a contract journalist, she hadn’t quite gotten enough articles for the month to afford both rent and food. So, for the first time, she was stuck with the more unpleasant aspect of her lease contract. Fine print… fine print enough to damn her.

“Hey Hollis.” His smarmy voice made her shudder again, and she growled as she threw herself into one of the seats in his managerial office. “I  _ sincerely _ hope you’re here to pay up.”

“You are trash, William Luce.” She sneered. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

“Doing what?” Laura’s head popped up, and her eyes went wide as she saw who had slipped into the office with them. She had  _ not _ agreed to an audience. Laura’s gaze traveled over the young woman, offence radiating through her whole body, and swallowed hard. Whoever it was was… gorgeous… but again, she had  _ not _ agreed to an audience for this ridiculous charade and humiliation. Dark eyes flickered over her face, then turned to Will, and the woman arched an elegant eyebrow. How she managed to convey such judging skepticism in that single look was beyond Laura, but she pulled it off. “Harassing maidens fair again, William?”

“Hello Kitty.” Laura’s eyes bounced between the pair, a little confused but definitely interested in whatever was going on. She’d never heard her landlord’s voice sound like that before - something between mocking and hesitant. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, I can’t come visit my baby brother?”  _ Kitty _ asked with a teasing pout, nearly prowling forward as she left the door she’d… come in through? Appeared next to? Laura wasn’t sure, especially if this woman was related to Will. Was she a vampire too? Delicate fingers trailed along her shoulder as the woman passed her, and Laura shivered involuntarily as she tried to lean away. “I’m hurt.”

“What do you  _ want _ , Kitty cat?” He sneered, all pretense of mocking and superiority gone, and Laura kept carefully quiet.

“Mattie hinted that you’d set up some sort of ridiculous venture in town that would make Maman less than proud, and probably piss me off. I felt it necessary to investigate.” The woman shrugged lazily, then glanced purposefully at Laura. “Though I do see you have a guest. I  _ do _ hope you don’t mind me interrupting, cupcake.”

“Of course not.” Laura hedged, staring directly into the woman’s eyes and unable to look away. The small grin brought a flush to her cheeks, and she clenched her jaw, gripping the armrest of the chair tightly. “Be my guest.”

“Well, if the lady would like to continue dressing him down I wouldn’t object to a bit of entertainment before I went about my business.” The woman’s lips turned up into a wider, smug smile. “You were saying something about him being trash?”

“She’s just one of the apartment residents. We’ll finish this later, Hollis.  _ You owe me _ .” Laura glared back at Will as her attention returned to him, and she saw the woman roll her eyes where he couldn’t see.

“If you’re giving me an extension to tomorrow, at least let me have a week instead.” Laura grumbled, standing but hoping that he’d agree if she pressed the issue while he was trying to get her to leave. He sneered at her. “I’ll make sure there’s interest.”

“Sure you will. Tomorrow, and you’re paying in blood since you obviously couldn’t come up with the money by today.” He snapped, then gestured at the door. Laura’s jaw clenched and she nearly stormed out. A hand on her shoulder, the same one that had trailed fingers across her teasingly, stopped her from moving.

“So that’s what Mattie was talking about.” The woman growled, drumming her fingers gently where they held to Laura’s shoulder, and she looked back at dark eyes that looked… surprisingly angry. “You’re blackmailing your residents for blood? Really Will? I knew you were a sick little bastard, but even that should be too low for you.” Laura nearly dropped her jaw in shock. “A pretty thing like this wouldn’t come near you if you weren’t being disgusting, though. Still not an excuse.” The woman let go of Laura’s shoulder. “Go on out cutie. I need to have a  _ talk _ with our little delinquent.”

Laura looked between them curiously, anxious to overhear whatever the woman was going to say - hopeful that it would result in either release from her lease contract or reprieve from  _ that _ part of it. Nevertheless, while her ex might claim that she had no sense of self preservation, two vampires in the middle of an argument was not something she wanted to be stuck between. Glaring one last time for good measure at her landlord, Laura slipped out the door. Maybe she’d stick around a few minutes, see if she could overhear something.

As the door closed behind her, Laura tried to stand a little off to the side, listening carefully. Whatever was being said, though, escaped her hearing. Really, she didn’t want to stick around long enough for Will to decide that he needed the ‘meal’ she owed him right after an argument, though. Chewing on her lip and wishing she knew who the woman really was, and what was happening in the office, Laura trudged up to her loft apartment instead. Self preservation: she definitely had it. Definitely. She wasn’t going to go back down there and keep trying to eavesdrop.

She wasn’t.

* * *

An hour later, still burning with curiosity about what had happened, Laura wandered back toward her kitchen in search of hot cocoa. Comfort food was necessary, especially since she  _ didn’t _ know what had happened and might still have to let the sick, creepy bastard bite her the next day. As she turned around from the microwave, though, Laura shrieked and nearly dropped her Tardis mug.

“Holy Hufflepuff!” Her heart was nearly in her throat, and she stared, wide eyed and gasping, at the woman lounging across her comfy chair. “How the frilly hell did you get in here?!”

“Frilly hell. That’s cute.” The brunette woman drawled, a single foot bouncing from where it dangled off of one of the chair arms. “I thought I’d introduce myself. Call me Carmilla. I’m your new landlord sweetheart.”

**Author's Note:**

> Well there you go. One of the VERY FEW times I am capable of writing below 1500 words.  
> As it is I'm tempted to actually edit and polish this, and turn it into a multi chapter fic... there are *ideas* in my head for it now.
> 
> We'll see.


End file.
